Back to football for a minute and then we'll continue with the music. New Orleans' own hometown boy, Peyton Manning, finally got over the hump and is taking his team, the Indianapolis Colts, to Superbowl XLI as the AFC champion. I've often said that I thought he would be the best quarterback ever to never win one but we'll see. I'll be rooting for the Colts over da Bears, even though I really like both teams.

    Alright, now for our trip back through musical history. 1979 was quite a difficult year for me as I had to figure out what in the world I was going to do with my life. I started out college in accounting at my father's insistence and nearly flunked out. The most important thing I learned that semester was that I didn't want to be an accountant. My dad had made a deal with me that he would pay for college as long as I didn't screw around. Well, I've always been one to push the limits and I found out that he was serious. In the meantime, I got myself in a little trouble with the law (a DUI that was downgraded to Careless and Reckless because I passed the blood alcohol test) and was without a vehicle and out of school. I worked at the local fried chicken place in the evenings and I bagged groceries during the day at the Air Base Commissary (grocery store - why do the Armed Services have to have their own names for everything?) One of the guys who also worked at the commissary was an airman who was trying to make a little extra money. I had played a good deal of pool when I was younger and I challenged this guy, who I quickly found out was way better than I was. I basically gave him all the money I was making bagging groceries and the bad thing was that I was convinced that I was going to beat him. So every day, we worked for a few hours and then I would lose my earnings. I finally wised up and  decided to attend college the fall of that year but I had to get rides to and from school with my cousins who were also attending because my license had been suspended. It was probably the lowest time of my whole life.

Top Songs of 1979

My Sharona, The Knack
Heart Of Glass, Blondie
The Logical Song, Supertramp
My Life, Billy Joel
I Want You To Want Me, Cheap Trick
Rock 'N' Roll Fantasy, Bad Company
Sultans Of Swing, Dire Straits
Chuck E's In Love, Rickie Lee Jones
Every Time I Think Of You, Babys
Bad Case Of Lovin' You, Robert Palmer
We've Got Tonite, Bob Seger and The Silver Bullet Band
Dance The Night Away, Van Halen


Only 12 songs for the whole year - It was one of the lowest times for music as well. Most of the rest of the charts were dominated by The Bee Gees, Andy Gibb, Donna Summer and the like. Here's my top album list for 1979


London Calling - The Clash - Their watershed record, they got a little poppy after this
Rust Never Sleeps - Neil Young and Crazy Horse - This was his year as a live record also made the the top 100. One of the few artists that constantly reinvented themselves successfully.
The Wall - Pink Floyd - I just purchased the "Pulse" DVD and having never seen them live, I was stunned.
Fear of Music - Talking Heads -  a turning point for them just before everyone else discovered their quirkiness
Armed Forces - Elvis Costello and the Attractions - this is where he really defined himself as an artist
Highway to Hell - AC/DC - I know, I know. Just answer me this - who doesn't sing along to this stuff - nobody, that's who
Damn the Torpedoes - Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers - another defining moment in rock. An absolute must
The B52's - The B52's - Their first record and most fun
Regatta de Blanc - The Police - Every record got a little bit better as the blonde trio grew as musicians and writers
Squeezing out Sparks - Graham Parker and the Rumour - Songs on this record would be the standard that all the good music of the 80's would be compared to. A real pioneer
One Step Beyond - Madness- Ska at it's finest. These guys knew how to have a good time and make some incredibly entertaining music at the same time
Rickie Lee Jones - Rickie Lee Jones - A jazz cross over. Her laid back style was such a breath of fresh air compared to the heavy beats of disco
Look Sharp - Joe Jackson - one of the best songwriters of the 80's, if not the best looking
Breakfast in America - Supertramp - This record grew on me. Excellent musicianship and songwriting
Labour Of Love - Nick Lowe - another pioneer of the punk/pop scene
Eat to the Beat - Blondie - I loved the way they got on the disco bandwagon and paid homage to rap, which was up and coming at the time and made fun of all of it at the same time. "Rapture" is awesome
Repeat When Necessary - Dave Edmunds - before he was a multi-platinum producer
Candy-O - The Cars - This is probably the last good album they made before they sold out to MTV
Van Halen II - Van Halen - For a follow up, this album was probably as good as it gets. Again just before MTV came along and ruined it for everyone.

 

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